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Technical Wont get up my driveway!!

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Technical Wont get up my driveway!!

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rtm

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Hello all,

So today i finally got to test drive a 1.2L petrol POP Ive been dreaming about for the last month or so....I LOVED it!!
However, it wont get up my driveway (pragmatic hubby made me add this as a clause to the buying contract...must get up the driveway).

The hill start assist is on, and I revved it hard in 1st and it would move forward then the revs gradually dropped and it would stall a few feet on...I tried this 4 or 5 times...

is it just because its too gutless or is something else going on?

Ive driven a manual for about 20 years, though hill start assist is a new concept, but as it cuts out some 3-4 seconds after starting to go uphill i dont know if thats it..the pedal is to the metal.

Any ideas??

I really want to buy this car...but its got to be garaged and not left in the street. I should be able to re-testdrive it on Sat.

The larger engine/sporty version is out of my price range.

Hoping you can help,

Heartbroken.:cry:
 
rtm said:
Hello all,

So today i finally got to test drive a 1.2L petrol POP Ive been dreaming about for the last month or so....I LOVED it!!
However, it wont get up my driveway (pragmatic hubby made me add this as a clause to the buying contract...must get up the driveway).

The hill start assist is on, and I revved it hard in 1st and it would move forward then the revs gradually dropped and it would stall a few feet on...I tried this 4 or 5 times...

is it just because its too gutless or is something else going on?

Ive driven a manual for about 20 years, though hill start assist is a new concept, but as it cuts out some 3-4 seconds after starting to go uphill i dont know if thats it..the pedal is to the metal.

Any ideas??

I really want to buy this car...but its got to be garaged and not left in the street. I should be able to re-testdrive it on Sat.

The larger engine/sporty version is out of my price range.

Hoping you can help,

Heartbroken.:cry:
Click to expand...


Is your drive vertical?


Joking aside the 1.2 has more than enough power to go up any sort of incline in 1st gear. Either you are not driving right or something is wrong with the car.
 
A trick from much earlier days of motoring was to reverse up steep hills, rather than go forward, as reverse gave a lower gear ratio than 1st. You might like to try this if you feel confident enough. Even after 40+ years of driving, my reversing skills still leave an awful lot to be desired. Ho-hum.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the advice,

Im not in much of a jokey mood Im afraid. Im too sad.

Im not doing anything wrong. Checking I was in 1st gear was the first thing I did...Ive been driving manual cars for 28 years...most of them small, manual, old POS that were not easy cars to drive...

Our driveway is the steepest of any driveways I have ever known and though not quite vertical, it would be pretty close to 45 degs in parts and would not be deemed legal by any modern building code...its also curved.

It defeats most pizza delivery guys and several relatives cars (my friend wont even try to drive his hummer up it)....you dont so much as drive up it, but launch yourself blindly up it...and aim for the garage and hope for the best. Can be fun taking unsuspecting first time passengers up it as it usually elicits a scream.

Our current little car, a suzuki sx4 with its 2L engine, auto AWD mechanism which kicks in halfway, has no trouble at all...even with me driving!

The little FIAT managed it OK with a bit of a run up from the street, and only stalled halfway from a standing hillstart from the base of it. I was hoping that its light weight would balance out its small motor and front wheel drive...

The dealer mentioned trying to reverse up...but this would mean alot of stuffing about and isnt really a solution given the road we live on, but thanks
Luigi.

I might get the dealer to try it on Saturday, perhaps it is an issue with this car...

I might try turning the hill assist off, and the traction control on and off and see if that makes any difference.

rtm
 
500 doesn't have hill start assist, only hill holder, 2 different things. All electonickery off and it'll go up, I've been up he hardknott pass in my 1.2
 
Just had another thought...

Could it be the ESC system kicking in and lowering the revs as it detects wheel slippage?

I might try turning off the ESC on next test drive too...

Im determined to get the car up the bloody driveway!!

Will let you know how I get on..
 
rtm said:
Thanks for the advice,

Im not in much of a jokey mood Im afraid. Im too sad.

Im not doing anything wrong. Checking I was in 1st gear was the first thing I did...Ive been driving manual cars for 28 years...most of them small, manual, old POS that were not easy cars to drive...

Our driveway is the steepest of any driveways I have ever known and though not quite vertical, it would be pretty close to 45 degs in parts and would not be deemed legal by any modern building code...its also curved.

It defeats most pizza delivery guys and several relatives cars (my friend wont even try to drive his hummer up it)....you dont so much as drive up it, but launch yourself blindly up it...and aim for the garage and hope for the best. Can be fun taking unsuspecting first time passengers up it as it usually elicits a scream.

Our current little car, a suzuki sx4 with its 2L engine, auto AWD mechanism which kicks in halfway, has no trouble at all...even with me driving!

The little FIAT managed it OK with a bit of a run up from the street, and only stalled halfway from a standing hillstart from the base of it. I was hoping that its light weight would balance out its small motor and front wheel drive...

The dealer mentioned trying to reverse up...but this would mean alot of stuffing about and isnt really a solution given the road we live on, but thanks
Luigi.

I might get the dealer to try it on Saturday, perhaps it is an issue with this car...

I might try turning the hill assist off, and the traction control on and off and see if that makes any difference.

rtm
Click to expand...

It must be fun reversing off the driveway into the road........
 
306maxi said:
or not
Click to expand...

Let me explain my rather short reply.


A) The OP said they couldn't spring for the 1.4.......
B) If anyone took the time to read my post and googled the road that I mentioned, they'll find that it's the STEEPEST road in England. If my 1.2 can do a hill start on the steepest road in England, then I rather suspect that the OP will manage their driveway.


Are you sure that the car is equipped with the hill holder function? As far as I'm aware there is no on/off for this, it's on 100% of the time. If you're talking about the traction control then this really should be turned off as you won't want the car cutting power as this will merely cause the car to lose momentum. Obviously you'll need to have a certain level of throttle control, but I'm sure with such a steep drive you've already got this :) Hill holder only holds the brake anyway, it's not going to really help you up the gradient.


This is Hardknott Pass. I drove up it in my 500 a few years ago and whilst it was the hardest hill start I've ever done, the 500 got up just fine.


[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardknott_Pass[/ame]


In short, the 1.2 can do it :)
 
Just a thought, if hill holder is present, you have taken the handbrake OFF? I have met other people who have thought that the hill holder would release the handbrake lever for them. No offence intended if this is not the issue.

Should have no problem with the hill.
Get the dealer to demonstrate. If car is broken, he'll have to fix it.
 
If the car has ESP, it cannot be switched off. Only ASR can be disabled (Anti Slip Regulation) - this is designed to allow the front wheels to spin if snow chains are fitted.

By the sounds of it, wheelspin is the last thing you need. A JCB would be more use.
 
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